We have been discussing chromosomes, DNA, genes and base pairs. If you have missed that, please look at our archived blogs. We have detailed how this is part of our code of life telling us who we are, what we will become and also what we are. Interestingly, the majority of abnormalities in gene codes, called genetic variants, don’t affect our health. However, sometimes genetic variants can have a tremendous effect on your body function. This usually is a result of an alteration in your genetic letters (base pairs). For example, the genetic letters in a gene sequence should be CTTC. However, in you, the code may be TTTC. This small change in your generic letters may have little implication or may cause significant problems (or benefits) to you. Understanding your gene variants will help you enhance your health and lifestyle by altering your diet and overall lifestyle to meet your specific needs. These small genetic variants, or small changes in the base codes, are called single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPS). This is pronounced SNIPS. Fortunately, most gene variants are not definitively bad. These SNIPS can often be affected by diet and lifestyle changes. You can push these SNIPS into the right direction to prevent disease and to improve your health and well being. You have the ability to influence your future health once you understand what genetic variants you have and what you can do to positive influence their direction. Life is not “random”. Most of us have a significant ability to change our outcomes through nutrients, lifestyle and our environment. You need to choose to make a difference in your life.
May 2009
05/26/2009
05/04/2009
DNA and Today, What Can You Do?
Today we know that your genes play a tremendous role in your future health. Our understanding of genes and what they do are of recent discovery. Archibald Garrod was a British physician who first suggested that inherited diseases were a result of genetic defects in the early 1900’s. During the 1950’s and 1960’s, scientists were convinced that genes were stored in molecules called DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) that were wound up within the nucleus (core) of our cells. In 1953, scientists James Watson and Francis Crick were able to determine the double helix (twisting) structure of DNA.
DNA consists of two intertwined coils. The coils are constructed of units that are known as base pairs (genetic letters). These base pairs are G (guanine), C (cytosine), A (adenine), and T (thymine). These base pairs and combinations of the base pairs are your genetic code. The organization of these base pairs in your DNA tells your body what specific proteins to make. These proteins regulate your body functions and serve as building blocks for your tissue. A single gene is comprised of approximately 3,000 genetic letters (base pairs). It is estimated that each person has 20,000 to 25,000 individual genes. DNA consists of multiple genes. This DNA is packed tightly in the nucleus of a cell in storage units called chromosomes. We all have 23 pairs of chromosomes. Half of the pair is donated from your mother and half of the pair is donated from your father. These chromosomes containing your genes and base pairs are the blueprint of what we are, who we are and what we can become. In reality, only 0.1% of our DNA is unique to us (99.9% is similar to other humans). However, this 0.1% is 3 million genetic letters. Different combinations of these genetic letters account for the infinite amount of difference that occurs between all humans. A great deal of our genetic code can be influenced by our diet, our lifestyle and our exposure to environmental toxins. Yes, genes can be predetermined to follow a specific pathway accounting for our health and our disease. However, many of these genes can be “pushed” down the right pathway by the combination of nutrients, lifestyle and environment.
